Each Monday of the fall semester, we’ll be bringing you “Getting to Know Them” profiles on coaches, athletic administrators and athletic trainers at Slippery Rock to introduce you to the folks behind the scenes here at The Rock. Next up, we check in with head baseball coach Jeff Messer.  

QUICK BIO
Simply put, Jeff Messer is one of the best baseball coaches in the country. Now in his 36th year as the head baseball coach at Slippery Rock, Messer has averaged 30.1 wins per season during his career and has amassed more wins than any coach in the history of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. His 1,016 wins rank as the 17th most in NCAA Division II history and the fifth most by any active head coach. Messer owns a career record of 1,016-664-5. He has been named the PSAC Coach of the Year a record seven times and has been the Atlantic Region Coach of the Year four times. In 35 years at the helm of the program, Messer has led Slippery Rock to 33 winning seasons. Messer played shortstop at Springfield College, graduating in 1980 with a degree in physical education. In addition to his coaching role at Slippery Rock, Messer was also an assistant professor in SRU's health and physical education department until 2008, when he relinquished his teaching role to focus solely on coaching The Rock baseball team.

IN HIS WORDS

Q: What’s the first concert you went to?
A: James Taylor was the first concert I went to.

Q: What was your favorite subject in school?
 A: History was my favorite subject. 

Q: What was your first job growing up?
 A: I was a summer counselor at a sports camp. 

Q: When did you know you wanted to go into a career in collegiate athletics?
 A: I knew I wanted to go into coach toward the end of my playing career. 

Q: What’s your all-time favorite movie? You can give us a few if you can’t pick just one.
A: Roadhouse, Jerry McGuire, Hoosiers, For Love of the Game 

Q: How do you relax?
A: I enjoy fishing, golfing and running.

Q: What’s your favorite meal?
A: Baked stuffed lobster with crab dressing.

Q: What meal/dish/item are you best at cooking? 
A: Veal Parmesan or Marsala.

Q: What was your first car? What’s your dream car? 
A: My first car was a Chevy Vega. Dream car would be a Range Rover SUV.

Q: Favorite current TV show? Favorite TV show of all-time?
A: Currently, I enjoy Yellowstone. My favorite all-time show would be The Sopranos.

Q: What’s your favorite season/type of weather? Why?
A:  Fall because it’s sweatshirt weather.

Q: What was your favorite or most memorable vacation?
A: Jackson Hole/Grand Tetons/Yellowstone.

Q: Where is one place you haven’t visited yet, but you definitely plan to?
A: I would like to visit Hawaii and Alaska.

Q: Describe your perfect day off.
A: Spending time at a family gathering with barbecue.

Q: Do you listen to podcasts? If so, what are your favorites?
A: Yes, anything associated ABCA baseball.

Q: You can only eat one thing the rest of your life, what is it?
A: Lobster.

Q: Fly or drive for a long trip?
A: Fly.

Q: Cats or dogs?
A: Dogs.

Q: Retirement destination?
A: Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida.

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